


Mon Ame (My Soul)

by Leilani5



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Across the 2nd Dimension, Alternate Universe, Brotherly Affection, Caring Sam, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Family Disputes, Horror, Hurt Castiel, Ill fated romance, Love, Loving Mary, M/M, Murder, Other, Protective John, Sad Ending, Self-Discovery, Sibling Rivalry, Spirits, Strangers to Lovers, Top Castiel/Bottom Dean Winchester
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-05
Updated: 2016-04-15
Packaged: 2018-05-31 13:24:40
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 40
Words: 18,970
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6471682
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Leilani5/pseuds/Leilani5
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was 1960 and the Winchesters just moved to Lousiana from California due to John's new career. The rest of the family were excited except Dean, who missed everything back home. It's the 60's and they're going to be stuck in some bayou away from civilization. But the old house offered a lot more mystery and he's about to find out.</p><p>1760. Castiel at 25, was forced to be the Master of the house and plantation in Louisiana. He inherited that sprawling piece of property from his father. Being the oldest son, he has no choice but to take over the family's business immediately. Jealousy among his brothers due to his inheritance caused his life to end.<br/>Castiel's ghost lingered in the house for centuries, scaring the tenants who lived there year after year.  no one dared to live there nor wanted the burden of fixing it so the ghost was deeply intrigued when he saw the strange young man, in a strange clothes with the strangest appreciation in music in his house.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [CoralQueen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CoralQueen/gifts).



> This story is for everyone and especially for Evangeline74 who inspired/requested this genre. 
> 
> Enjoy my time travel, cross dimension, horrible effort at French language but like the crazy nouveau bull fighter, I will get into that ring!! LOL!!
> 
> I promise it won't be long a*& this time okay guys!! LOL
> 
> Oh yeah and the title means My Soul

1760 Louisiana

 

"Bonjour maitre, Delacroix." the petite red headed maid singsonged her greeting as she drew the heavy curtains away to let in the morning sunlight.

Castiel groaned as he rubbed his eyes impatiently when the sun ray shone directly on his face. He hated mornings and wanted to stay longer in bed. It's Sunday; his duty starts later today, why did she wake him up two hours earlier. Oh, how he hated mornings and that cheerful, annoying maid!

"Bonjour Castiel...!!!" Charlotte greeted again gazing down at her master, laughing. She's enjoying this moment too much, Castiel thought irritatedly. Just wait till he adds more duties for her later today, then they'll see who will laugh hardest!

"Bonjour Charlotte." he replied grumpily and removed the sheets away from his body and sat on the edge of the bed. 

"Would you care to have your breakfast at the parlour or shall I bring them to you, my dear handsome Master?" Charlotte tilted her head when she asked him in her sweetest voice.

"Parlour!" Castiel gave her the short answer. She knew he didn't like to eat in bed and yet she asked just to annoy him further.

"Parlor il est!!" and off she went humming merrily, leaving her Master in peace at last.

Castiel yawned as he rubbed his neck and smiled. He loved Charlotte, just not in the mornings. She made his life here in Louisiana bearable. Oh how he missed Paris, but duty and responsibility held him here. 

Like a prisoner.


	2. Chapter 2

1960

"Dean, try not to sulk in front of your dad. He's excited about this new job and the house, let's be happy for him. This move will be good for us as a family. Come on, smile, sweetie. Do it for your mama, come on..smile," Mary smiled and coaxed her son, who was seated in the backseat.

They were at a gas station, and his father and Sam were in the store buying snacks for their journey. Usually, the young man loved road trips, but this isn't a road trip. This is permanent. A move made by his dad without consulting him. 

Dean smiled a little to please his mom. There's no point arguing with her or his dad cause he will lose anyway. Which adult listened to a 19-year-old kid anyway?

"Now, that's better. I promise you, baby, we're gonna have lots of fun there, and I will ask your dad to get you a car on your 20th birthday, how's that sound, hmm?" his mom looked at him hopefully, and he smiled wider. Dean loved his mother, they're very close and Sam's closer to their father. 

He knew that his father loved him but every time they talk, they always ended up arguing with each other. It's like they're made of fuel and fire. Bad chemistry there.

Dean hoped that the house was huge enough so that he can disappear from the old man whenever he's at home. 

He saw the clouds getting darker, and the wind blew hard outside. John and Sam ran towards the car to avoid the unexpected rain that fell suddenly.

Dean missed his sunny California already.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you can see, every chapters I used different POVs since they are of different centuries. Less confusion for me that way...lol
> 
> Enjoy!!

1760

Castiel was still moody when he looked at the choices of clothes that were laid out nicely on his bed by Charlotte. Since it's Sunday, he decided to wear casual, so he picked a full white sleeved silk shirt with plain wristbands and a light beige waistcoat to go over it. 

He then chose the dark brown leather boots instead of the low-heeled shoes with silver buckles. Castiel never really fancy them anyway, but unfortunately, he has to wear those to formal events and such.

But today he's going to ride one of his favorite mares after breakfast and then visit the corn fields. The young master was sure some of his workers were slacking, but it's okay, they've worked hard almost every day, from dawn till dusk.

Castiel even allowed some of them to rest, at times, no used wringing them dry and got them sick. He liked his men strong and happy working the field, unlike his younger brothers who tortured their workers to get things done fast.

Castiel preferred quality to quantity and because of this, he and his siblings often quarreled among themselves. They said that it's a mistake that their father left the plantation to their oldest brother, Castiel did not possess leadership quality. He's too weak and too friendly with them workers, they said. 

Castiel paid no attention to them. At 25, he's already the man of his household, and he ran their family's business smoothly without problems or agenda. To hell with their thoughts and jealousies, Castiel. Charlotte always said to him. 

Oh yeah, about that imp, he's supposed to give her extra duty this morning. Castiel smiled happily to himself imagining her protests later and he felt better already.


	4. Chapter 4

1960

 

It was after midnight when the family finally arrived at the plantation house. It was dark, but Dean could make out the sign on the dilapidated wood that read St Delacroix, as the car turned towards the long and sandy path that led to the two-story building.

John immediately unloaded the bags the minute he stopped the car in front of the porch. Sam and Mary watched their new home in awe, and an old trevi fountain attracted Dean's attention as he touched the broken marble. It must be very beautiful once, he thought.

The sound of his father calling out their names caught his attention, and the boys rushed to help him with their bags. Mary helped carry the smaller boxes and was about to enter the house when John told her to wait. There are no lights yet in the hallway, he said, promised to get it fix by tomorrow.

John was glad that his new job as a Senior structural engineer at the construction company in town will start in two weeks. He had ample time to work on their house and was excited about it. 

John loved hard labor and often wished that one of his sons shared his interests, but it's the 60's. All that Dean does nowadays was listening to his music, watch Tv and played his guitar while Sam forever has his nose buried in books. 

He's lucky that Mary's his wife. The beautiful woman knew how to keep her family together and agreed with his decision to move to this side of the states. Mary left their beautiful and comfortable home in Pasadena for this centuries old house and she never complained, not once. John loved her dearly and promised to make it up to her later. Maybe she could run her own little tailoring shop here.

Life is already looking bright for the older Winchesters, and they hope that their children will adapt to this new environment. 

If only their dreams are as easy as they should be.


	5. Chapter 5

1760

The horse ride in the woods brought a little calm to Castiel's troubled mind. Charlotte had told him something about his younger brothers, Reichard, and Louis. She overheard their conversation last night at the dinner table after Castiel excused himself to retire to bed early.

He scolded Charlotte for eavesdropping like always, but the maid insisted that what she heard was something more serious and shouldn't be taken lightly. After much coaxing, Castiel gave up and listened to what his friend had to say.

Castiel appreciated her concern about his family's welfare. So he confronted Louis, his youngest brother, at the latter's home.

"Tell me, Louis, is it true, that you and Rei were trying to sell away half of our plantations to the new lords without my knowledge?" Castiel asked, staring at the brown eyed man.

"It wasn't my idea, Cas, but Rei said that we will be paid handsomely, triple their value!! I'm not going to miss this opportunity Castiel and you shouldn't too. Don't you want to go back to Paris like you always wanted? The lesser your responsibility here, the sooner you could leave, brother." Louis lured.

"Hmph..." Castiel harrumphed as he shook his head. The endless scheming from his brothers got more and more ridiculous lately that he's at a loss for words.

"Please, stop acting like you cared a damn about me. You both not consulting me about your plans are plain stupid. Do you know what they will do once they bought our lands, Louie?" Castiel asked, raising his eyebrows at his speechless brother.

"They will destroy our crops and sell the lands at a much higher price than what they paid for!" Castiel voiced impatiently. The problem with his brothers, they were too snobbish to mingle themselves with the other newcomers and learn something about them. 

Too caught up with their old wealth that they thought that everyone else is beneath them. Castiel knew a lot about what's going in his community. The newcomers seemed inexperienced and too eager, but they're smart. They would jump at every golden chance to have a piece of their fruitful land.

Louis and Reichard wanted fast money, but Castiel wanted to secure their family's fortune for their future generation even though he longed to go home to Paris. Castiel missed the bustling life there, the cold weather, the food, and his friends.

"I do care about you, Castiel, believe me. I will inform Reichard about this. Like I said, it wasn't my plan, brother, but I'm sure Rei must know what he's doing." Louis explained quietly.

"Think about your children and their children later, Louis. All these wealth are for them not us. I'll see you both later at dinner." 

Castiel didn't wait for Louis' answer and left the house. Of his two brothers, Louie has a little more sense and compassion but often bullied by Reichard. 

Castiel wished that there's no animosity between them and despite their jarring differences, he still loved and cared for his brothers.


	6. Chapter 6

1960

"Oh, mom, that smelled so good." Dean sniffed into the bubbling pot of beef stew Mary's cooking in the kitchen.

His mom smiled at the compliment and went to bake the corn bread in the oven. She was so glad that John did the kitchen first before everything else in that house before they moved in. It has brand new appliances, and Mary had fun using them immediately after she got back from the grocery store in town.

"Thanks, sweetie, lunch will be ready soon. Can you please ask your father when the rest of the stuff will get here?" she asked while stirring the stew.

"I'll tell Sam to ask," Dean replied and was about to leave when Mary pulled his arm.

"Dean, ask your dad, sweetheart." Mary insisted.

"Mom...you know he'll start scolding me for not helping him with the floorboards." he whined. He's been avoiding his father since that morning when the old man nagged at his boys.

"Please, baby. Just a question, now. You could do it." his mother teased the petulant boy.

"Alright...alright!" Dean said and walked away grumbling.

Mary shook her head, smiling. She knew that Dean would be forced to help his father, and that's why she sent him there to the living room. Her son needed to be pushed, sometimes. Dean's hardworking actually, he just hated his dad's guts.

Sam came bouncing into the kitchen next, and she did the same, sent her youngest son to his dad. The same grumbles could be heard from Sammy as he walked away. Sam has no problem with John, he only wanted to spend his time reading in his new room. 

"The truck will be here in the evening honey! And thanks for the help!" John shouted from the living room, and Mary laughed at his comments.


	7. Chapter 7

"You know what, Louis. I had it with him. He shouldn't be telling us what to do and how to do things all the time. We're missing out on a lot of money here, and we shouldn't let him get in our way. I have plans to buy some property in The South of France, Louie. We could make it there too, Louis." Reichard expressed his plan heatedly. His oldest brother, as usual, foiled his plans yet again, and Louie seemed to agree with the man.

"Rei, I think we should forget about this plan. Castiel's right. We should think about the children's' future and safeguard our fortune from outsiders." Louie reasoned gently. He wanted the best for his two young children and his wife. Rei and his wife has been married for two years, and they have no offsprings yet. 

"Your wife and children will get more than what's bequeathed to them now, Louie. We will bring our whole family back to Paris soon too, I promise you." Rei convinced but in his heart, he was angry at his younger brother for his selfishness. Louie has two children, and Rei has none.

It seemed that Louie forgot about this little detail but now's not the time to fight with his little brother about it. It's time to sway his attention towards Reichard's opinion and not Castiel.

"But Nadine loved it here, she has her friends and family here, Rei, plus she wanted our children to grow up here too," Louie said, hoping that Rei will listen to him.

"Louie, your little wife loved something or shall I say someone else more than that, my little brother. That's why she's reluctant to leave this hot and humid place." Rei inserted. This was a recurring topic between them recently. Louie was led to believe that Nadine has had her eyes on his older brother, Castiel since their wedding day.

"You know Rei, that's not a nice thing to say about my wife. Castiel loved the children, so it's natural for Nadine to adore him." Louie defended weakly. It's getting too often, Rei's accusation and he's scared that he might agree with his brother one day.

Castiel's devastatingly handsome and charming. All the ladies adored him, but Nadine loved Louie, he's very sure of it, or they won't have those two beautiful children.

"Whatever you say, Louie. But don't come running to me when something happened between them. So? What do you think of our plan? Shall we proceed?" Reichard pressed further.

Louie frowned and said no, he won't do it. Reichard glared at him and chased his brother out of his house. 

Fuming, Reichard thought of another plan to destroy Louie's faith in his marriage.


	8. Chapter 8

John and the boys were ravenous. They ate the delicious food like it was their last meal and Mary laughed at their actions. The stew almost gone by the time Sam went for his third servings. 

"What are we going to eat for dinner, mom?" Sam asked as he scraped the bottom of the pot. 

Mary was about to reply when John intervened. "We're eating out. There's a diner in town that we should try."

"Oh..but I loved mom's cooking," Sam whined looking at Mary with an exaggerated pout.

"Your mom's tired, she needed a break." John said without looking up from his plate.

"Can I stay home? I wanna take a look at the other side of the house." Dean said, and John was about to open his mouth when Mary said,"Of course sweetheart. We'll bring you home something for you to eat later."

"Thanks, mom," Dean answered and saw his dad grumbled lowly at his mother, something like we're a family, you spoiled him...da..da..da..da..da

Sam and Dean helped their mom with the dirty dishes, and his dad went out the back door. He came back later to give Dean a flashlight and told him to use it when he got to the east part of the house which was dark. 

John had yet to install the lights there and warned his son to be careful and not touch anything. Dean thanked him and his father just grunted and walked away. 

Mary knew John loved his sons very much, and they're special to him, but it's hard for her husband to say that he loved them sometimes. He showed his affections in his own undemonstrative ways, but it's good enough for Mary. As long as they're taken good care of, nothing else matters to her.

She wished that she didn't let Dean stayed home that night because what happen after that almost tear their family apart.


	9. Chapter 9

1760

It's been almost three weeks, and Castiel hasn't heard anything about his brothers plan to sell off their plantations. They met one another in Castiel's office every day, but neither brought the matter up as if they never discussed it.

Castiel noticed some changes in Louie's behavior too. His youngest brother seemed aloof and quiet lately whereas Reichard was being overly polite towards him. Their strange demeanor mystified their oldest brother. Something must have happened, and Castiel wanted to find out. 

The other strange or sad thing was that Nadine and the children didn't come visiting his home anymore. Both Castiel and Charlotte missed them very much. They loved to play with little Adalyn and Zola while Charlotte missed chatting with Nadine.

So he asked Louie one day about his wife and children, and Castiel was appalled when his brother told him not to ask for them anymore. 

Nadine's been busy, he said, running their household and planning to have a third child. Castiel, who was angry at Louie's first comment, turned happy at the announcement that he congratulated his youngest brother.

Louie caught by surprise at his brother's sincerity, began to behave normally after that. This camaraderie didn't bode well with Reichard, who intent on pulling his brothers apart and his darling wife Ophelia has been breathing down his neck to get things done fast.

She didn't care what her husband and Louie will do to Castiel as long as they all could leave Louisiana soon and for good. There's nothing for her here but endless days of boredom, she said. 

Reichard thought of a plan. 

Ophelia's going to throw a grand ball at their home.


	10. Chapter 10

Ophelia was ecstatic that she immediately summoned all her servants at once. She delegated their duties and warned them to get everything done perfectly for the big event that weekend. 

"Oh Cheri, I'm so excited. How wonderful it is to celebrate our departure to Paris this way! Merci mon amour..! You made me so happy!!" Ophelia gushed and kissed her husband's face over and over that had the man grinned happily. She didn't know the real reason behind his generosity but knew his wife couldn't care less anyways. 

Reichard loved his wife even though she could be callous most of the time. But that's what he loved about her actually, he couldn't stand wives like Nadine. Weak and demure, ambitionless. Ophelia's ruthless and brave just like Reichard. They're so perfectly matched. 

Castiel received the invitation to the ball and smiled to himself. Ophelia must be in one of her restless moods again, he thought. He didn't particularly like this sister-in-law as she always gave him this bad vibe whenever they're near. 

Castiel knew the feeling's mutual, so he let it go. He told Charlotte to convey his acceptance to his brother and hoped to meet Nadine there too, to congratulate her on the news Louie told him the other day.

That night in bed, after she put her children to sleep, Nadine asked Louie if she could bring their children over to Castiel's house the next day. Louie flatly told her no and she frowned with worry. This was not like Louie at all so she brought up the courage to ask him why.  
"My dear sweet husband, may I know why am I not allowed to bring our children to meet their uncle, Castiel? I'm sure your brother missed them, and you won't allow him to meet them here either. What's going on, mon amour? Did you two have a fight?" 

"No, cheri, we didn't fight, I just don't like you going there, that's all," Louis explained quietly.

"But why, husband?" Nadine asked again curiously, gazing into her husband's eyes.

"Servants talk, Nadine, you must protect your good name and mine," Louie said in a serious tone.

"What do you mean? What talks, Louie? I'm not aware." she asked innocently. Servants talk? Was he talking about Charlotte? What has she done? She asked again when her husband didn't answer her questions.

Louie turned to his wife and spoke sternly, "I'm your husband, Nadine, and you will do as I say! You must not meet nor talk to Castiel again do you hear me?!!" he turned his body away angrily from his bewildered wife and snuffed the candle on the night table.

Nadine cried herself to sleep that night. Castiel's like a brother to her, and he really loved the children. What has happened to the brothers that she and her children have to face the consequences now.


	11. Chapter 11

Dean bade goodbye to his family on the porch and walked back inside the house. He looked at the stack of boxes in the living room and began to unpack them one by one. The least he could do for his sweet mom, he thought, smiling to himself.

Dean finished putting away their things in less than an hour and brought his own unopened box up in his bedroom. He cheered when he found his small portable radio in it.

The teen checked the batteries and turned the radio on. The room immediately filled with the sultry sound of Elvis singing Stuck on you and Dean began to sing along and dance to the rhythm. 

The rest of his family had fun in town. The diner was surprisingly good despite the small menu. Mary bought a few other things for the household and John got himself some tools to work on the house. The old stores had genuine and useful materials here than the ones back home, John told Mary and Sam. 

Sam was having a blast at the old bookstore that he bought a couple more books to add to his growing collections. The streets lined with old structured buildings from the French colonial era that they brought a certain charm to the quaint town. The family decided to spend longer time there before the stores closed.

After dancing to a few more songs from his radio, Dean decided that he's ready to check the other part of the house. Truth was, Dean's a little scared, and the music has helped calmed his nerves somewhat. 

The sun is setting, and he didn't want to go venturing when it's too dark. So he grabbed the flashlight and his small portable radio with him. 

While walking through the long hallway that connected to the next building, Dean's mind got busy. The plantation house has eight bedrooms, and so far they only used four bedrooms, and the other four were on that other side where he's heading. 

He wondered if Delacroix was the name of the owner of the house and why was it abandoned for so long. His father told them that the last people who lived there, was in the late 1920s, but they too left without staying more than a few months. 

The broker didn't tell John the house was haunted. He only said that people can't afford the restoration of the huge building and that's why it has been on the market for so long. The man was exhilarated when John told him that he would buy and fix the house himself if he's offered a good price. They both sealed the deal that day.

It was pitch black when Dean finally got there, and he turned the flashlight and his radio on. "The Twist" was playing midway, and Dean grinned widely, he loved this song and wished that he's up in his bedroom dancing away instead of standing here alone in the darkness. 

The hallway was cold and drafty. Dean was glad that he still had his leather jacket on, and he began walking ahead using the fluorescent flashlight as a guide. He felt a little relax with the radio on, and the DJ's friendly voice was like a friend, calming him further. 

He saw the first bedroom as the light flashed on it and made a turn to get inside. The room was empty, and it was colder than the hallway that Dean put his radio down to pull his jacket tighter around his body with one hand, and flashed the light around the room with the other.

A dark shadow moved fast against the wall as the light flashed on it that Dean gasped in shock. He hastily flashed the light back to where he saw the shadow, but it wasn't there now. Shaking his head laughing nervously, he thought that it might be his imagination and was about to leave when he felt an eerie presence behind him.

The tiny hairs on his neck stood up as he felt it creeping closer to his body. Dean shut his eyes tight and psyched himself before he turned around and flashed the light. There was nothing. 

Totally spooked, Dean quickly reached for his radio and was about to flee the room when an unknown force stopped him. Panic sets in as he tried to move his feet but they refused to budge, the radio in his hand dropped to the ground that the batteries fell off. The room went silent suddenly and he tried to scream, but his voice won't come out.

His body began to tremble with fear and tears pooled in his eyes. 

"Don't be afraid....I won't hurt you..." an unearthly voice whispered in his ear.

Dean's heart beat erratically. So scared that he urinated in his jeans. Dean couldn't make himself think, his mind overwhelmed with terror that his body began to convulse violently.

"I will take care of you...sleep now." the voice said, and Dean felt a touch on his neck before he went unconscious and fell to the ground.


	12. Chapter 12

Parallel Universe

Castiel stared at the strange form sleeping peacefully in his bed in amazement. He was entranced the moment he saw the young man entered his bedroom with a strange light that shone from a box and that strange music coming from the other. 

Castiel never heard or seen anything like that before. It was fascinating! He wondered why the stranger needed the light as it was bright in here. 

He continued staring at the young man's comely face. He has freckles adorned the bridge of his nose. Thick and long dark blonde lash fanned prettily against his cheeks and his lips, oh that delectable bowed lips. 

Castiel never saw a man with such beautiful mouth before that he quickly moved away from the bed. Huh! Was this attraction he felt for this alluring creature? Albeit he's French, but Castiel never thought he would be attracted to another man!

Castiel wasn't sure what's happening around him anymore as this young man dressed stranger than the other person who came to his house before.

He carefully touched the boy's blue colored pants and found the material made of cotton yarn, and it's weaved. The black coat that draped his body was soft yet thick and the white undress shirt he wore made of cotton.

At least, the material's familiar to Castiel and something else caught his attention. He saw something strapped to the young man's left wrist, and he gasped in shock! His eyes were deceiving him! It's the tiniest pendulum clock he has ever seen!!

Castiel wanted to jump with joy at his discoveries, but he contained himself, wouldn't risk waking up the young man in his bed.

So he grabbed the armchair and sat, waiting for the beautiful man to rise from his slumber.


	13. Chapter 13

1960

The Winchesters reached home, and Sam ran to his room and locked the door. He was looking forward to reading the new books he just bought that he didn't even see his brother's bedroom was empty.

John went around the back of the house to the shed. Mary went to the kitchen shouting for Dean to come down and eat his late dinner that she has bought. There's no reply from his son, and so she called out louder. 

Sam, who could hear his mother's voice, yelled from his bedroom, "Dean!! Mom's calling you downstairs!" There's still no answer and Mary began to worry. Maybe Dean's still on the other side of the house, and she went to her husband and told him to get their eldest son. 

"You mean he's still there?" John asked frowning at his wife.  
"I think so, he's not in his room that's for sure. Please tell him to come back here, John, his dinner's getting cold." she pleaded.  
"Alright, I'm going. Let me get my flashlight." John said.  
"Thanks, babe," Mary smiled and pecked her husband's lips.

Mary put away her groceries and went into the living room. She just noticed that the boxes are gone and smiled contentedly. Her Dean's full of surprises. Then she went upstairs to his bedroom and shut the windows. She knew that Dean must've only left since he helped with the boxes and it gave her a sense of relief somewhat.

Mary went to check on Sam next door, but his door was locked as usual. Her youngest son can be an introvert at times, so she knocked his door twice before it was opened. 

"Hey, don't you wanna put the rest away sweetie?" she asked, pointing to the new books that littered his bed.

"Nah, I'll do it later, I'm hooked on this one already, mom," Sam replied without lifting his gaze from the book in his hand.

"Oh-kay. Just don't sleep on them, you hear?" Mary said and bent down to kiss his forehead. "And don't forget to brush your teeth!" she reminded as she closed the door behind her.

"Okay, mom!" Sam replied.

John turned on the flashlight and called out to his son in the darkness. "Dean!! Where are you?. Come back to the kitchen, your mom got you your food!"

There's no reply from Dean, and it was silent and cold in that building.

"Dean!! Come on! It's getting late. Don't worry your mother!" John shouted. He was getting impatient and walked further till he found the first room. 

"DEAN! I SAID LET'S G.." John couldn't finish his sentence when he saw his son's body lay unconscious on the ground that he threw the flashlight in his hand and pulled Dean's body towards him.

"Dean!! Dean!! Oh god! What's going on?!" John tapped Dean's face anxiously with his hands and received no reaction from the boy. He picked his son's body up and carried him all the way to the kitchen on the other side calling out for his family.

"MARY! SAM!! HELP ME!!


	14. Chapter 14

"John!! What happened?!! Dean!?!! What happened John?!!" Mary shouted as she looked at her son in John's arms and back to her husband.

"OH MY GOD!!" She screamed as she saw dark bruises all over Dean's limped body.

John saw them too now in the light and shook his head in confusion."I don't know what happened out there, Mary. I found him already lying on the ground in one of the bedrooms. We have to take him to the hospital. Sam! Start the car!!" John yelled and carried Dean out of the door. 

Sam dashed out of the house to the black Chevrolet and started the engine. Mary locked the front door before joining her family inside the car, and John drove away in a hurry. 

Mary, who was crying now, pulled Dean into her arms and rocked him slowly. She kissed his forehead, muttering soothing words in his ear and rubbed her hand against the purple bruises on his arms. 

Sam was fidgeting next to his father, worrying about his brother. He kept turning to the backseat and watched his brother and his mom in anticipation. 

"I need you to calm down, Sammy." his father warned gently. Mary's about to breakdown, and he needed Sammy to stay with her later when Dean's in the emergency room. 

John wanted to be with Dean when the doctor sees him.


	15. Chapter 15

Parallel universe

The stranger stirred in his sleep, and it seemed like he's having a nightmare. Castiel got up from his seat and walked nearer to the bed, watching. The young man groaned and thrashed his body wildly, but his eyes were still tightly shut.

Castiel was torn between waking him up from his nightmare or leave him be. Suddenly he stopped thrashing, and his eyes fluttered opened. He then turned slowly towards Castiel and asked, "Who are you?" 

"My name is Castiel Delacroix and may I know what is yours?" he asked gently, smiling at the young man.

"Dean Winchester." he replied weakly.

"Hello, Mr. Winchester. Welcome to my home." Castiel greeted warmly.

"Thank you. Am I dead?" Dean asked with a worried frown.

Castiel laughed softly and said, "No, I don't think so, Mr. Winchester."

"Please, call me Dean." he said and continued, "How did you know that I'm not dead?" 

"You were only sleeping," Castiel said.

"But I'm here, with you, in this place. What are you?" Dean asked puzzled. 

"I'm human, Dean, and you're with me in my home, in Louisiana," Castiel explained.

"Where are my family?" Dean asked.

"You have a family?" Castiel asked him back.

"Yeah. There's my dad, mom and my brother Sammy." Dean said.

"That's nice. I'm sure that you're safe with them, Dean." Castiel assured.

"What do you mean? I'm here with you right now." Dean clarified.

"Your other part of your life is with them, and the other is here with me," Castiel clarified.

"I don't understand," Dean muttered as he turned his gaze upwards at the beautiful murals of angels on the high ceiling. Everything seemed so unreal, Castiel's presence, this gorgeous gilded room, this huge bed he's lying in and he, himself. 

But yet he felt so much alive and still in his clothes. But his jeans are not wet when he remembered peeing in his pants. Maybe this is all just a dream, yes, that could be it. This can't be real. It seemed like a very nice dream that he never had. Dean could sleep longer for a dream like this.

So he turned back to Castiel, who was watching him intently and said, "I'd like to see the rest of your house, Castiel."


	16. Chapter 16

"John, I wanna see him." Mary pleaded with her husband who just came out of Dean's room.

"The doctor's attending to him now, Mary. He will tell us when it's okay to see him." John explained patiently.

"How is my baby?" she asked, tears bridled in her eyes. Sam came and stood next to her.

"Yeah, dad. Is Dean gonna be okay?" Sam asked worriedly.

"He's not responding, but his breathing is normal though his heartbeat is a little weak," John said forlornly.

"What did the doctor said?" Mary asked curiously.

"He..uh...he said that Dean might be suffering from temporary loss of consciousness caused by a lack of oxygen in the brain. He said it could be hypotension. Dean's blood pressure was pretty low when he checked just now." John asserted, and he hoped that the doctor is right. 

"So is the doctor giving him any medication now? What is he doing with my son in there?" Mary asked impatiently. John's not telling her more of what's going on, made her more upset.

"I don't think the doctor could give him any medicine while he's still out, Mary. Be patient, sweetheart." John consoled his agitated wife.

"How can I be patient, John??! What's wrong with my son?!! What took them so long!" Mary cried hysterically and John pulled his wife into his arms. Truth was the doctor was just as mystified but promised to let John know the outcome of their tests on Dean. John kept this information from his wife knowing how upset she could get.

They're all sick with worry about Dean and prayed that he recovered fast. There are so many things John wanted to tell him to make him happy. His heart and mind burdened with worry and fear for his son. He blamed himself for not fixing that part of the house. The cold, drafty building must have contributed to Dean's condition.

Sam blamed himself for not staying home with Dean and Mary, she fared worse, she blamed herself for letting Dean stay at home and checked out the house while they were out having fun in town. 

John knew until the doctor gave his final diagnose on Dean, or till Dean wakes up, his family will never be at peace again.


	17. Chapter 17

Parallel Universe

 

"I will be honoured to give you a tour of my house, Dean" Castiel smiled. He then held his hand for Dean to take, "Come, let me show you the house that my father built for his family." 

Dean returned his smile and let Castiel led them to the room downstairs.

"How many members are there in your family?" Dean asked as they walked down the richly carpeted stairs.

"There were my parents, of course, my younger brothers Reichard and Louie and me. My mother died giving birth to Louie, so my father took us all here when I was 20. How old are you Dean?" he asked looking at Dean with his tilted head.

Dean found it so adorable that he smiled and replied, "19."  
"Ah...I see. It's an impressionable age." Castiel replied.

They reached the foot of the steps, and Castiel showed Dean the large room before them.

"Here's the drawing room where we entertained our guests, which were not often as my father is a devout Catholic. But after his demised, there were no stopping my brother Reichard. He's the un savage in the family." 

"What's that?" Dean asked curiously at the French word used in his sentence.

"Oh! I am so sorry, my friend, I forgot that you are not from this world. It means the wild one. Reichard's the wild one, Louie's the baby, and I am supposed to be the responsible one." Castiel said almost regretfully. He shouldn't let Dean think less of him.

"Supposed to be?" Dean queried. The young man surprised himself by wanting to know more about this dashing stranger. He realised that this was just a dream but look at this beautiful place, this drawing room, with the ornate velvet chairs and table and the stone fireplace that he could easily walk into. Huge candle chandeliers above them, the glorious carpet and not to mention the large paintings on the wall.

They garnered his interest that he let go of Castiel's hand and went to have a closer look.

Castiel was glad for the distraction that he didn't have to answer Dean's question and stood next to the young man.

"Who is she, Castiel?" he asked, staring at an oil painting of an exquisite woman with an alabaster skin and bright blue eyes. She looked a lot like Castiel.

"That was my mother, Magdalene. And next, to her was my father, Guillaume Delacroix." Castiel said proudly. His parents married for love.

"What are your parent's name, Dean.?" he asked, wanting to know more about the intriguing young man from that different exciting world. He was happy that Dean thought his world was just as exciting.

"John and Mary Winchester," Dean said proudly too.

"Those are good biblical names, Dean." Castiel smile and said, "Come, let me show you the rest of the house." 

"Lets! I hope my family won't wake me up from this amazing dream soon, Castiel!" Dean laughed as he was pulled by the man.

"Me too." Castiel whispered with a smile.


	18. Chapter 18

1960

 

Sam fought to stay awake as he sat on the chair next to Dean's bed. It was almost six in the morning when they were finally allowed to visit his brother.

His parents are with the doctor and he wished he could be there to hear what the professional has to say. Dean's been out since last night and Sam tried to talk to him, shook him and even pinched his bruises to get some reaction but there were none. He cried silently and prayed that his brother will get well soon. 

Sam was planning to visit the bayou with Dean. They've never seen one and he heard there are tonnes of alligators there. Dean loved the outdoors and Sam thought it will be an awesome memory for the both of them. He missed Dean already and started crying again. 

"Doctor Reese, I appreciate if you could tell us the truth, what's going to happen to Dean. We are so worried not knowing what's going on with him now. And what caused those bruises on his body? Please, doctor, tell us something, anything." Mary beseeched with her tears still falling, and she didn't care that the nurse was there in that room with them.

"I understood how you must feel but you need to prepare for the worse. I can't explain the numerous bruises on his body, it could be due to the lack of iron in one's blood. I've yet to find out. All I can tell you now was that so far the initial tests done on Dean were encouraging, meaning that there were brain activities found in him still even though he hasn't responded to any of the reflex tests, which I found atypical. I wouldn't know how long he would stay this way but let us hope that he won't lapse into a coma." the doctor explained gently. 

Mary nodded her head and looked up at John who's beginning to tear up too.

"So there's a chance he might come around soon then doctor? What can we do to make this happen? What can the hospital do in the meantime." John asked, hopeful. He's ready to do anything for his son.

"Try talking to him, make him listen to music he loved. But you have to do it here, I will arrange for a single bedroom ward for him for your privacy. Dean needs to be fed and treated intravenously, so I hope you will understand that it might take a while." The doctor spoke kindly and the couple nodded.

"I suggest all of you go home now and rest. It won't do Dean or any of you good if you're sick. We will take care of him and I will call you if there are any progress from Dean's condition later. You have a phone installed in your new home?" Doctor Reese asked John.

"No, not yet. I was planning to tomorrow. I will send my wife and son home then I will come back here again doctor." John said.

"Okay, sure, Mr Winchester. I will see you then. Take care now." he said to Mary.

It's hard to get Sam to leave the hospital but the doctor was right, they needed to be healthy for Dean.


	19. Chapter 19

Parallel Universe

Castiel showed him the entire house including his stables, but there weren't any horses in it, so Dean asked him why.

"Cas, where are the horses? I know that this was a dream, but I sure love to see them horses, Mister." Dean teased as he kicked the hays on the ground.

"Cas? I liked that. I could conjure them up for you, Dean if you want to." Castiel offered, tilting his head again.

"You're so darn adorable. Please, conjure up a few Mustangs, dear good sir!" Dean ordered playfully. He's having a kick speaking like Castiel.

"Your wish is my command, mon amoureux," Castiel smiled and bowed dramatically to Dean.

"What did you just called me?" Dean asked softly. He wished Sam's here to help translate every word this man said to him. He felt stupid and uncultured. But the word sounded nice, though.

"That's for me to know and you to find out. Now close your eyes and don't peek!" Castiel warned gently.

"Okay!" Dean shut his eyes tight.

"You may open your eyes now," Castiel said softly.

The sound of horses' neigh could be heard even before he opened his eyes to see.

"Oh..! Ooooh my God!... Cas!! They're so beautiful!! Can I touch them?" Dean asked with pure excitement that Castiel immediately said Yes!

Castiel watched in admiration as Dean patted gently both of the handsome creatures. He wondered how Dean would look wearing his clothes and rode one of the horses. Castiel was sure that Dean will be a sight to behold. He didn't expect to be enamoured by this breathtaking young man, but he did. Maybe Reichard was right when he teased Cas being secretly into the Italian vice. 

"Would you like to go for a ride with me, Dean?" he asked, smiling genuinely.

"Hell, yeah!" Dean exclaimed happily.

Castiel frowned a little at the words, but Dean quickly rectified. "Oh, I'm sorry, Cas. I forgot that you're not from my world." and they both laughed. 

"I will be happy to learn more about your world, Dean if you would allow me," Castiel said.

"You're such a gentleman. Sure Cas, come on let us ride these beauties." he cajoled.

"Let's." Castiel smiled.


	20. Chapter 20

1960

John rushed back to the hospital after he sent Mary and Sam home. It was almost 9 in the morning, and Sam was already fast asleep, but Mary found it hard to even shut her eyes.

Her mind kept worrying about Dean that she decided to forgo her slumber and made lunch for Sam and John when he comes back later.

They both agreed that they're going to take turns taking care of Dean and that Sam should accompany Mary in the hospital. John wanted to finish fixing his house. 

Partly because he could use some distraction, and also it has to be done before he start to work soon. They will need more money now for the hospital bills later.

John never prays but throughout the journey to the hospital, that was all he did.

While cooking, Mary's mind began working. She thought about the things they talked about at the hospital. Doctor Reese ruled out self-inflicted injury where the bruises on Deans' skin are concerned. Mary told him that Dean looked fine before they left. 

So what could be the possible cause for it? Why's Dean unconscious this long? She thought about what Sam told her earlier too. He said that Dean might be possessed. 

Mary scolded him saying that he shouldn't believe in such things. Now, she's not so sure anymore. Exorcisms are not easy to acquire nowadays. It takes time. The doctor's words that said they should be prepared in case if Dean lapse into a coma got Mary crying helplessly again.

Dean's too young to suffer like this. He has his whole life ahead of him, and Mary and John wanted to give him so much. John had been looking at some colleges here in Louisiana when he came to fix part of the house. John even wanted to take the boys out camping this summer because he knows how much Dean love the outdoors. Mary wanted to take Dean's place so much that it hurt her heart.

She threw the knife in the sink and fell to the ground. She sobbed aloud till Sam came down and found her sitting in front of the sink. He held his mother and sooth her with encouraging words. Sam promised her, in tears that he will find out what's happened to his brother.


	21. Chapter 21

Parallel Universe

Dean had so much fun trying on Castiel's clothes ever since they got back from riding the horses in the woods. He finally chose a soft silky satin fabric with a pleated high collar and full romantic sleeves.

Over it, he wore a green velvet waistcoat which complemented his eyes and the white breeches fit his lower form perfectly. 

"How do I look?" Dean asked as he came out from the bronze folding screen, smiling.

"You looked debonair, Dean." Castiel praised, smiling genuinely at the fetching young man before him.

Castiel motioned for Dean to sit on the bed and then he put on the silver buckled shoes on the younger man's feet.

"I feel like Cinderella, Cas." Dean laughed, gazing at Castiel before him.

"Then, I will be your Prince Charming." Castiel countered steadily, gazing up into Dean's green eyes.

"Are you flirting with me, Prince Castiel?" Dean teased and Castiel smiled at the strange word which he believed, meant, come-hither. 

"No, Dean but it would bring me great pleasure if you allow me to court you," he said gently. Hope evident in his blue eyes.

Dean looked at Castiel as if for the first time and smiled shyly at the handsome man.

The short time they spent together brought them so much warmth and contentment that they didn't want this happiness to end.

Something stirred inside Dean as they continued gazing into each other's eyes and he leant his face forward, nearer to Castiel. His heart was beating fast as the other man closed in for a kiss.

Their lips finally met and they began to kiss chastely. 

"Do you feel like I feel, Cas?" Dean whispered when he pulled away. His green eyes searched the blue eyes before him.

"If love is what you're referring to, then the answer is yes, my heart," Castiel said softly and kissed him passionately. The latter responded eagerly and let their desires took over.

Dean fell in love for the first time with the ghost he thought was a figment of his imagination.


	22. Chapter 22

1960

It has been a week, and Dean still hasn't regain consciousness. The only hopeful thing was that he has not yet lapse into a coma. His family and his doctor were equally gratified yet mystified by this.

The bruises on his body were gone as mysteriously as they appeared. John felt as if Dean's holding on for his life, and a sense of pride came over him that his son's trying to fight his own mysterious illness.

Sam tried telling his parents about the possibility of possession, but his father won't hear a word of it. John said that he's been in that house a couple of times before they moved and he found nothing out of the ordinary and blamed Sam for upsetting his mother with his crazy suggestions.

Mary agreed with Sam, and she too was rebuked by her husband.

So heated arguments between the family occurred almost daily whenever they meet, in the house or at the hospital. Mary was in Dean's room when Sam and John fight outside, near the orderly's pantry.

"If I hear exorcism one more time, Sammy, I swear I'm not gonna let you visit your brother again!," John warned, staring at his son angrily.

Sam has been telling him about the books he read and what he heard from the area they lived. He adamantly believed that there's a ghost in their house and that Dean's possessed by it but John wouldn't hear him out.

"But Dad! There's no harm trying! We should try every possible way to help him!" Sam argued, not all perturbed by his father's incensed look.

"And what do you think I've been doing here Sammy?!! I've been trying to talk to the doctor if they could transfer Dean to another hospital for better observation! I'm doing my best for your brother and STOP bothering your mother with these crazy ideas! She's suffered enough!" John spat and he glared at his son.

"We should get the church involved in this or it's gonna to be too late!!" Sam retorted. The slap that John gave stung his cheek and wet his eyes. Sam gritted his teeth and walked away angrily from his father who immediately regretted his actions. John didn't mean to hit his son, but the thought of Dean dying was too much for him to bear. 

An orderly, an African American matured lady has been listening discreetly to the family argument and thought about the haunted mansion in that area where they lived. She will never understand why people still wanted to live in such places despite all the warnings. 

Yolanda wanted to speak to the younger man instead of his skeptical father about this tomorrow. He was right when he said that his sick brother's running out of time. She has heard so many stories about that house and none of them were good.

"What's wrong, Sammy?" Mary asked when she saw her son seething with rage by her side. They were driving home from the hospital, and Sam hasn't said a word, and Mary could feel that he's on the verge of crying or yelling.

"Did your father scold you again? Did you two had an argument just now? SAM??" Mary asked exasperatedly. She tried to focus on driving, but Sam's demeanor worried her. Her son and John had been arguing a lot lately, and Mary tried to keep the peace between them, but it's not easy as they're both hard headed.

Frustrated as there's no reply from Sam, Mary pulled the car over to the side of the street.

"Sam, talk to me." Mary coaxed in her semi-serious voice. She tried not to be so hard on Sammy knowing what he must've have gone through. What they all have gone through.

"Dad refused to listen to me, my suggestions! The doctors don't even know what's wrong with Dean! Exorcism could help! What was he waiting for?! Dean's wilting away, Mom!" Sam growled, balled fists on his lap, ready to punch the target who's not there.

"I understand sweetheart, I've been trying to talk to your dad about this too, and I want you to avoid talking about this subject with him for a while. Let me handle it. I know your father, Sammy, he's afraid to think of the worse for your brother. Unknown and unseen methods were difficult for your father to accept as he didn't see the logic in them. He has high hopes that the modern medicine and method will help your brother." Mary explained gently. 

"But there's no harm trying, Mom!" Sam retorted. Mary held his hand and said she yes that she understood too. 

They had been talking to an unconscious Dean every time they visited. Mary even brought his portable radio hoping that her son will react if he listened to the music he loved.

At times, when Mary's alone with Dean, she would sing soft lullabies in her son's ears while choking on her sobs. Memories of Dean since infancy till his current state now invaded her mind that she can't help but let her tears flow endlessly.

John was agitated that he stormed into the doctor's office and demanded for Dean's transfer.


	23. Chapter 23

Parallel universe

 

They had done so many things, but Dean found that the day didn't seem to end, in fact, the sun shone brighter outside and lent it rays into the mansion, made it looked ethereal. 

This was the longest dream that Dean ever had, and he wasn't complaining. Castiel taught him how to play the piano, and when Dean told him about his guitar, they began chatting excitedly about their other interests.

They discovered about each other more and more as the time passes by till it was time for dinner. Castiel conjured up a scrumptious meal on the long dining table that Dean almost drooled looking at them.

There was few kind of food that Dean never saw nor tried before but they looked so delicious that he got diving into them almost immediately. Dean groaned with pleasure and Castiel laughed softly at his companion's reaction that he began eating enthusiastically too. 

The brown roasted chicken, the red boiled crawfish, and other delectables on the silver platters almost cleared by the both of them in record time.

"Oh, Cas...I could live here forever." Dean smiled as he patted his tummy. 

"Why don't you? I will be the happiest man alive, Dean." Castiel replied, smiling gently as he drank his wine.

"Me too, Cas. The day's very long here, and it's amazing how you always find more things for us to do. How did you do it? How long do you think I've been here? It seemed like this day never ends. Don't get me wrong, Cas, I love it, but I wonder how this huge house will look at night with all these chandeliers and mirrors of gold all over." Dean said appraisingly, gesturing to the room with his hands stretched out, looking at Castiel.

Castiel didn't reply him then he got up and walked away from the dining room.

Dean found it odd that he followed the man. 

"Hey, have I said anything wrong?" he asked as he held Cas shoulder to stop him from walking away.

Castiel turned to Dean slowly and smiled. "No, you have not offended me in any way, Dean. It was like how you wouldn't want to wake from your dream. Same here with me. If I allow the night to come, it will also be the end of mine. I hope you'll understand." 

"Yes, Cas, I do. Come on, let's not brood. Let's raid your kitchen next!!" he gave a smacking kiss on Castiel's lips before he pulled the man's hand and they both laughing away.


	24. Chapter 24

1960

John was home, but he couldn't sleep. Mary and Sam, left for the hospital an hour ago that morning. 

He stared at the amount in his bank book and rubbed his face tiredly. John's been asking the construction company if he could start work a week earlier but they declined his request stating that they don't need him yet as the other engineer still there. 

He's been tapping into their family fund, and it's running low. John was at his wits end and didn't know what to do with money. It's been almost two weeks, and Dean's still has shown no improvement. 

They can't bring him back to the house because he's still on the IV and the option to transfer him to another hospital was not encouraged by the doctor as it's location was much further than the current hospital that Dean was in. It will make travelling harder for them.

Mary has taken up simple tailoring job in between when she's home with Sam after visiting Dean while John stayed at the hospital nightly. Sam went to work at the bookshop in town part time after convincing his mother that he's going to be okay. 

Mary knew they all needed the money to pay all the bills especially the hospital ones later even though they won't get much rest as a result. She was partly glad that it was the mid of summer, and Sam has offered to help them financially at least. 

The thing was that his parents didn't know that Sam chose to work in town so he could help his brother. Yolanda, the orderly at the hospital, has introduced him to a medium in the village. 

So every day after his mother dropped him off after the hospital visit, Sam would take a bus to the village and meet the medium. Luckily for him, the man didn't live so far away that he could make it in time to go to work in the evening.

The medium's house seemed normal enough from the outside but inside was dark and eerie. It was haphazardly decorated with all kinds of strange things that blew Sam's mind away.

There were taxidermied animals, all over the wall and on the shelves. Talismans made of some animals skin and teeth hung against the walls with old candles and scary voodoo dolls laid on the large wooden table. 

The first time Sam saw him, the medium was in a trance. When Yolanda introduced him to Sam, he gave the young man his unnerving stare. The old man's dark eyes were illuminated by the flickering lights from the candles before him that he looked diabolical.

Sam, who was immediately struck with fear, bolted out of the house with Yolanda chasing and yelling at him to come back. She insisted that it would take months for Sam to get the church's approval for exorcism after the boy's refusal to go through with the Voodooism by the medium. 

It took two days after the incident for Sam to summon his courage and meet the witch doctor. The first terrifying rites that the old man performed that day made his insides shudder.


	25. Chapter 25

John stood in the empty room where he found Dean unconscious. There was still nothing out of the ordinary. He has been going to that room so many times since the incident, day, and night and still found nothing.

There were no furniture, no debris or anything sharp that could hurt or hit his son and John was growing frustrated for answers. He left the room dejectedly knowing that he will come back again later.

There's an hour left before his family returned from the hospital, so he took a nap on the couch in the living room. 

John has a nightmare. In it, he saw Dean with someone and they were talking but in a very strange language he couldn't fathom. John tried to call out to his son but neither Dean nor the stranger could hear him and he called out louder. Dean finally turned to look at his father, but the stranger pulled his face away, and then they disappeared. John woke up screaming Dean's name and stopped when he heard Mary calling out his name. He told his wife about the dream, and she said that it could be a sign that they needed to do something about it. 

"What are you suggesting, Mary? Please, not the exorcism again." John asked, looking tiredly at Mary's face. 

"John, please hear me out. I think we should try to talk to the priests at the church. At least, listen to their opinion about our problem and maybe, just maybe something could be done. I'm not opposed to masses and prayers for our son if that's what it takes to get God to hear us. I need my son back, John. I missed him so much." Mary began crying as she laid her head on his chest.

"Sweetheart, please don't cry. I will go to the church now before going to the hospital alright. But I want you to rest so please no sewing today. What time will Sam be back?" he asked softly, as he rubbed Mary's back soothingly.

"He will be home around nine," Mary said between the sobs.

"I didn't know that the buses here run that late?" John asked, puzzled.

"He said he always managed to catch the last bus, John," Mary answered, looking up at her husband.

"Oh, really? Well, I will fetch him from work tomorrow. Don't tell him, alright? I want to surprise him, we've been arguing a lot lately, and I don't want to risk him hating me, Mary." John said.

"Yeah..." that's all Mary said before she fell asleep due to exhaustion. He let her sleep a few more minutes before he carried her to their bedroom.


	26. Chapter 26

Sam stared at the medium who's trance had subsided. Dean's picture bloodied with the chicken blood that the man slaughtered earlier. 

Yolanda, who was sitting next to Sam, whispered in his ear. She said that the reason that was done was to arouse Dean's soul and wait for the reaction from the medium.

It may not be immediate she said and sometimes the medium has to repeat the process till he felt something. Sam looked at him and then at the awed woman beside him. 

"How long must we wait, Yolanda?" Sam whispered back.  
"I don't know, child. We have to wait for Ou Man to tell us," she replied softly.  
At that precise time, Ou Man stopped chanting and looked up at them. He began speaking in Afrikaans, the native tongue of his forefathers to Yolanda. 

She told Sam earlier that the Ou Man as he's known in the village, was over 90 years old and have been doing this for years. It's a dying family trait that no outsiders were allowed to learn. 

Unfortunately, Ou Man's the last of his generation, he refused to marry or have children because he believed they will only weaken his gifts. 

Yolanda also told Sam not to be afraid of Ou Man because he was a kind man and expect no payment of any sort. He believed his existence was to help others in need. Sam should feel lucky to have known him while he's still alive and able to help his brother. Sam agreed, and his initial doubts about the old man's method dissipated almost immediately.

They continued conversing with each other as Sam waited with forced patience. He kept looking at his watch, afraid that he might miss the last bus home. The ride took more than an hour with numerous stops in between.

They finally stop talking, and Yolanda turned to look at Sam. She spoke clearly and slowly.

"Ou Man said that your brother's soul was being kept away in another world. The world was so dark that he can't "see" him clearly. Dean wasn't possessed as he went there willingly which makes it all the harder for Ou Man to communicate with his soul. He will try again tomorrow at the same time because that was when "he" was taken away, at around 8 in the evening." 

Sam nodded his head fast and told them that he will come back tomorrow and bring another photo of Dean. Then he ran out all the way to catch the bus that almost left its stop. His heart was beating fast not just because of running but because of what he just heard.


	27. Chapter 27

John sat watching Dean and thought about the conversation that he had with one of the priests in his local church. He's not much for words but assured John that he will come and visit Dean the next day. He gave the Bible and a list of prayers to John before he left.

It's always very quiet in the ward this time of the night and John often talked to his son, hoping that Dean could hear his pleas and prayers.

"Dean, I want you to know that I promise that I will do anything to get you out of this condition. I knew I've never been good to you and wished that I could turn back time and be the nicest father you'll ever know. I loved you, and I missed you so much, my boy. Please help Daddy fight this affliction that fell upon you, fight it, my son, don't let it consumed you. I prayed to God every day for HIM to take me instead Dean...I couldn't bear to see you like this anymore." John broke down every time he looked at his bedridden son. Dean looked so pale as if he's already gone and John cried harder at his own helplessness to save his child.

Sam got home a little after nine and saw his mom sleeping soundly in her bed. Poor Mom must be very exhausted, she never had enough rest lately, and Sam wanted to do something for her for a change. He has never cooked before, but he's going to make his mom a nice breakfast before they leave for the hospital tomorrow. 

John cried till he felt like there's no tears left anymore then he took out the list of prayers from his bag and put on his glasses. He held his son's cold hand tight and began reciting the prayers.


	28. Chapter 28

1760

The grounds of the huge plantation house on Rue Bourbon was bustling with richly dressed people stepping out of their expensive carriages. They were heading to the house of the host who held the best ball in their community. 

Ophelia looked dazzling that evening in her red velvet gown welcoming her esteemed guests. She then lured them to the decorated drawing room where classical music played by the musicians beautifully. The guests happy voices and loud laughter filled the gilded room, and the glamorous host has never been prouder. 

This grand ball would be her last in Louisiana, and it's also going to be her best. Her husband Reichard was nowhere in sight. But Ophelia didn't mind for the only thing that mattered to her was that they're both leaving for France in 2 days, and she can hardly wait. In the meantime, she's going to have lots of fun with all the guests and show off her wealth. 

Castiel watched his sister-in-law in amusement. She's like a peacock, strutting through the enchanted crowd to garner their attention. He shook his head and sipped his champagne. Reichard and Louie weren't there, and he wondered where those two went. Castiel was about to look for them when a few gentlemen guests started talking to him about business. He will look for them later, he thought.

Nadine was walking towards Castiel when she saw him chatting with the men and turned her direction towards the dining room. She missed Castiel and wanted to talk to him about the children and also asked about the problems between him and Louis.

Louie, her beloved husband, has changed a lot lately, and she knew it was because of Reichard. Nadine preferred Louie to be closer to Castiel, who she trusted like her own brother and not Reichard. His wife, Ophelia never warmed up to her either no matter how many times Nadine tried to be friends. 

She was glad she found friendship with Castiel's helper, Charlotte. The young woman was such a delight and Nadine missed her so much. Maybe she can ask Castiel about her when he's done talking to the men. 

So Nadine made a turn to the dining room and saw a huge range of delicacy on the long table. She had never seen such elaborate dishes, Ophelia had outdone herself this time.

She was startled to hear the dinner announcement made by the butler and everyone gathered around the table and to find their seats. Nadine found hers, and she smiled nervously when both Louie and Castiel sat next to her. She remembered her husband's warning the other night, not to talk to her brother in law. Nadine thought that Louie was being ridiculous and wanted to play referee to both brothers.

Reichard and Ophelia sat at the opposite ends of the table. They both stood up and made a cheery toast to all the guests at the table. The clinking sound of the champagne glasses were almost harmonious.

"Hello, sister. How have you been?" Castiel smiled as he asked Nadine.  
"I'm doing fine, Castiel. Yourself?" Nadine returned the gesture and smiled. Next to her, Louie was straining his ears to hear their conversation amidst the loud chatters among the guests. 

His heart flared with jealousy as Reichard warned him again about their liaisons before the party began. His brother had drilled into his brain the likeliest of his beautiful wife having an affair with the bachelor older brother of theirs. And now, they're sitting next to each other, cuckolding him before the eyes of everyone on the table, Louie thought with fury. 

He turned to look at Reichard, who nodded discreetly in his direction. Louie turned to his wife and whispered harshly into her ears.

"Get up and change seat with me. I already warned, you're not allowed to speak with my brother. Get up now!" 

Nadine was shocked at her husband's hostile words that unbidden tears sprang into her eyes instantly. She quickly obeyed and removed herself from her seat with a bewildered Castiel helping her pulled her chair away. He was about to ask her where she's going when Louie smiled widely at his brother and explained on her behalf.

"Oh, I asked her to change seat with me, Castiel. I needed to ask you about an urgent matter, our new shipment? I hope you don't mind, brother," he said innocently, and Castiel stared at him skeptically before replied.

"Sure, Louie, what's it about?" Castiel asked seriously, and they continued with the conversation. Castiel tried not read into it, but Louie behaved like a jealous husband and could have chosen to talk earlier before dinner. Castiel quickly erased the thoughts out of his mind and concentrated on their topic.

Nadine was too distraught to eat that she excused herself to the guests and Ophelia, feigning a headache. The busy host couldn't care less that she waved her hand as approval, but Nadine caught Castiel's attention, and he was worried. He will find her and talk to her later after the dinner.

Out of sight Nadine ran to the nearest empty room and cried on the velvet lounge. She wished Louie would talk to her about what's going on instead of treating her this way. Louie was never like this before, he was the sweetest husband any woman could have. 

Nadine wished she could go home to, her children, but they came in a shared carriage, and no respectable woman should walk home by herself at this time of the night. 

Reichard smiled discreetly at the scene before him. He had Ophelia arranged for Castiel to sit next to Nadine. Now all he has to do was wait for the Big love "triangle" drama to unravel and for his next move to proceed.


	29. Chapter 29

Reichard thought about the acres of plantations that they will sell. Their father's legacy that they're supposed to take care of but they gave him no meaning whatsoever except the money that comes with it. He promised the greedy new buyers that the lands will be sold to them before he left for Paris and demanded their discretion that this information would not reach Castiel's ears or the deal's off.

They happily obliged and pre-agreement between Reichard and them was signed and sealed. 

That's the easy part. The hardest part was getting rid of Castiel. Reichard has no love for his oldest brother, but Louie still do. 

Reichard can't make himself kill Castiel no matter how much he loathed him, but he knew Louie could. The quiet intensity in Louie shouldn't be ignored. He could be dangerous and unassuming at times. When provoked Louie could be menacing.

Dinner was over and Ophelia with the rest of her guests moved to the drawing room and left only Castiel and Louie at the table.

"Louie, is there anything going on between you and Nadine?" Castiel asked the moment they were done talking about business.

"Nothing. Why do you ask?" Louie asked staring at his brother.

Castiel was about to voice his concerns when Reichard called out to Louie. The latter excused himself to meet their brother.

At the same time, a maidservant came and whispered in Castiel's ear, so he excused himself too. Louie was ready to follow Castiel when Reichard called out to him again.

Castiel followed the maid hurriedly when she told him that Nadine needed to speak to him urgently about her children. Castiel's thought that maybe Nadine needed a ride home in his carriage and afraid to ask her husband. When he got there, he found her crying and immediately offered his solace. Nadine was too sad that she just cried and Castiel lets her.

"Louie, come, I want to speak to you," Reichard commanded louder as he hid behind a pillar.

"I have to follow him, brother. I'm sure he's looking for Nadine right now!" Louie expressed heatedly, as he walked towards Reichard's hiding place. He was so agitated and couldn't stand still, ready to chase Castiel.

"Yes, I'm sure he is and that is why you need this brother," Reichard spoke in his ear and slipped a sharp knife into Louis' hand.

"What's this??!!" Louie asked, his eyes wide, staring unbelievingly at his brother.

"To show Castiel that you meant business that he's not supposed to be gallivanting with your wife anymore.!! God knows what they're doing right now! Be a man, Louie!" Reichard prodded heatedly, as he pressed the knife harder into his brother's grip.

Louie was speechless but something inside him stirred when he heard the following words that came out of Reichard's mouth.

"GO!! Don't let them cuckold you anymore!"

Deeply affected by the cruel words, Louie marched towards the rooms at the back where the traitors could be hiding. 

He found them on the chaise lounge, Nadine crying in Castiel's arm. They didn't see him there with the knife in his hand. His brother's back was facing him.  
Overcome with rage, Louie growled and charged toward Castiel plunging the knife deep into his brother's neck. 

Nadine's screams and Castiel's howling groans reverberated throughout the room. Louie, who was in total shock at what he's done, dropped the knife and watched in horror as the blood oozed slowly out of his brother's neck.

"CASTIEL!!!! OH GOD LOUIE!! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!!?!!" Nadine was so overwhelmed that she passed out immediately. 

Louie recovered from his shell-shocked state quickly held his injured brother in his arms. "OH GOD!! CASTIEL!!!WHAT HAVE I DONE?!! WHAT HAVE I DONE!!?" he cried harrowingly, holding a limp Castiel close to his body. Castiel's blood smeared on his clothes, but he didn't care anymore. Louie's remorse for what he has done to the brother that he loved was immense that he yelled for help.

He tried to stop the blood from flowing by pressing his hand hard on Castiel's punctured neck, but it was too late as the real damage was done. Castiel died with both his eyes opened in his arms. Louie's painful screams and howls were muffled instantly by Reichard's hand over his mouth. 

"Be quiet!! You got to be quiet Louie, or they're going to get us! SHUT UP!" Reichard commanded and with the help of his paid man servants, they carried Castiel's dead body and Nadine's unconscious one back to the stable. Louie was too distraught to do anything but followed the men. 

That night, they buried Castiel in his own home before they went back to Reichard's house to clean the crime scene.


	30. Chapter 30

Parallel Universe

"I had a wonderful time, Cas, I'm so happy, thank you," Dean whispered as he played with Castiel's hair. They were lying on the bed with Cas' head rested on Deans' chest. 

"It's been my pleasure, mon amour" Castiel smiled as he purred softly, enjoying this blissful moment.

Dean smiled warmly at the endearment, by now he already understood what they meant, and he can't get enough. Coming from Castiel, they sounded like poetry. He wished that Sam would be here in this dream. His brother will be blown away by Castiel and this amazing place. The three of them will have lots of fun here, maybe he will have the same dream again. The thought of him waking up and facing reality soon saddened him though.

"I don't want to wake up, Cas," Dean said forlornly.  
Castiel raised his head and looked at his lover.  
"Then, don't. I don't want to let you go either." Castiel said as he brushed Dean's cheek with his hand.  
"I love you," Dean confessed.  
Castiel pulled himself up and kissed Dean's lips softly, "Je t'aime aussi" he whispered and kissed those pretty lips again.

They're like drugs to each other, can't get enough, unwilling for this fantasy to end. Cherishing every single moment in each other's arm for they know that this is only temporary. Someone in his family will force Dean to wake up from his sleep, from his beautiful dream and without realising, he cried as Castiel continued kissing him. 

"My love, what's wrong?" Castiel whispered as he pulled away.  
"I can't be with you forever, Cas" Dean confessed.  
Cas rested his forehead on Dean's and closed his eyes. He's afraid of this truth that they have to face soon, wanted so much to relive this moment over and over again that he too began to cry.

Dean held Cas' face in his hands and kissed his tears away.  
"Je T'aime Castiel. You're my love, forever" Dean professed amidst their tears.  
"You're my eternity, Dean....and I'm not letting you go...."

They kissed and kissed again till they can't hold back any longer. The pain that they felt and the desires that they held ignited a passion so raw that their bodies began to unite.

They undress each other urgently, trying not to break the kiss in between but it was impossible and then they're both bare of the beautiful clothes that they wear.

Without preamble, Dean turned them around and went down on Castiel, took him in his mouth, not caring that he has never done this before. This is his lover, his Castiel and he's ready to do anything for him. Castiel moaned at the delicious sensation as his lover's beautiful lips stretched around his manhood. Dean's reverent movement filled Cas' heart with so much love that he began to feel the warmth pooling in his belly. 

"My love.." Castiel moaned as he stroked Dean's cheek gently. Dean's hazy eyes gazed up at him beneath his thick eyelashes while he devoured Cas' throbbing flesh in his mouth.

The vision before him was so erotic that Castiel's moans got louder and more desperate. Dean got hungrier for him and it felt so good that Cas almost forgot how to breathe.  
"Ahhh.....Dean...I want to be inside you now, my love. I can't hold back anymore!!"Castiel moaned as he begged Dean to let go. The violent turmoil he felt inside induced the tears that fell from their face. Dean obeyed his lover and moved his body up to kiss his lover languidly. 

Castiel turned Dean on his back and pulled his thighs apart. He began kissing Dean's swollen lips as he fingered his lover's hole gently before inserting his hard penis slowly. Their twin cries at the first penetration echoed throughout the room. The sheer unadulterated sensation they felt was beyond amazing that Castiel had to halt his movement to catch his breath. Dean's tight and velvety insides consumed him.  
Dean felt so full and contented that he has to even out his breath too. 

His misty green eyes gazed lovingly into Cas' blues as if asking if he's alright. Castiel stared before he bent down and kissed Dean reverently.

"I love you so much" Castiel's eyes were closed as he breathed those words into his lover's mouth. 

"I love you too, my love" Dean replied and kissed him some more.  
"You belong to me, Dean," Castiel said as he stared into Dean's eyes.  
"Yes..." Dean said as he reached for Cas' lips again.  
"Say it Dean....say it..say that you belong to Castiel. Say it Dean." Castiel beseeched his lover.

"...I belong to Castiel." 

The second Dean finished uttering the words, Castiel plunged his erection into him and fucked him with pure abandon. Dean's amazed at his lover's stamina that when they finally stopped, he almost fell asleep, contented and satiated.

"Dean, wake up...don't fall asleep, my love," Castiel whispered urgently in his ears.


	31. Chapter 31

Parallel Universe

Castiel was alarmed. He tried to get Dean to stay awake but his lover keeps falling back to sleep. Castiel fear that Dean might slip away from his world.

"Dean! Please wake up!!" he tapped his lover's face and tried to kiss him, to revive his consciousness. "Dean!!"

"...Cas...." Dean finally muttered weakly with his eyes still close.  
"Dean!..wake up, come on!" Cas ran to his desk, poured some water into his large silver cup and ran back to Dean. Castiel made him drink the water and splashed some on his face. 

"AH!!" Dean exclaimed, shocked at the cold sensation. He squinted his eyes as rivulets of water streamed down his face. 

"What happened?!!" he asked Castiel who quickly pulled him in and kissed his face.

"Nothing. You're falling asleep, Dean! You can't fall asleep." Castiel said gravely in his ears.

Dean turned his head and looked at his lover in amusement. "Why Cas? You knocked me out. It's not my fault?" 

"I know, and I'm sorry, Dean." he apologized.

"Don't be sorry, Cas. I really enjoyed it very much." Dean teased as Castiel blushed at his words.

"Why can't I fall asleep?" he asked curiously.

"Because I might lose you to your world," Cas said sadly and looked away.

"Hey, you won't lose me. I'm still here aren't I?" Dean said, and Cas nodded, smiling softly.

"Tell you what, Cas. Let's go ride, Altair and Rigel. They could keep me awake." Dean winked, and they both laughed. Dean told Cas that he got the names from the movie Ben Hur and had Castiel all fascinated again. 

Castiel can't lose Dean, he's like the brightest star in his world of darkness. 

He pulled Dean's face closer to kiss him soundly, and whispered, "Let's get dressed and ride to the Mississippi River, my heart."

 

1960

The priest blessed Dean's forehead and prayed near his ears,  
"Lord, look upon him with eyes of mercy, may your healing hand rest upon him, may your lifegiving powers flow into every cell of his body and into the depths of his soul, cleansing, purifying, restoring him to wholeness and strength for service in your Kingdom. In Nomine Patris et fillii et Spiritus Sancti. Amen."

"John, all I can say is that your son's protected by God, and that's why he's still alive now. I would like you and your family to come to my church tomorrow morning, and we will all pray for him." Father David said.

"Yes, Father. I will bring my family before we visit him. Thank you for coming, Father. I truly appreciate it." John said to the priest who just nodded and smiled.

John felt a little calmer when Father David left, and he moved closer to his son. He brushed Dean's hair off his face and said, "Did you hear that Dean? We're all going to pray for you, and you're going to be okay. I know you're going to be okay." He cried as he kissed his son's face and left.


	32. Chapter 32

1760

 

"MURDERER!!!!" Nadine screamed harrowingly at her husband the moment she regained consciousness. They were at home after Louie came back from helping his brother and his men cleaned up Castiel's blood.

"Nadine...please forgive me, I've wronged Castiel, ...please, please forgive me." Louie cried helplessly, begging for his wife's clemency.

"IT'S GOD AND CASTIEL THAT YOU SHOULD ASK FOR FORGIVENESS LOUIE!! AND I WILL NEVER FORGIVE YOU TILL MY LAST BREATH!!" Nadine yelled as she wiped the tears from her face angrily then turned around and walked away.

She can't even look at her husband's face without the thoughts of hurting him. The tragic incident lingered in her mind, and she cried again for Castiel. She was surprised when Castiel came to see her in that room where she cried her heart out. Her sweet brother in law thought that he was sent for, but clearly it was a setup by REICHARD!!. 

But Castiel didn't mind because all that mattered to him at that time was to comfort her. But what did Louie do? He killed his own flesh and blood out of unfounded jealousy. 

Louie killed the beloved Castiel, the one person who kept their family together all these years, who protected their positions, wealth and safety in this foreign land! Nadine knew her husband was goaded by Reichard, the evil man who belonged to Satan!! She took her children to meet Charlotte and tell her what happened. May Reichard and Louie rot in hell!


	33. Chapter 33

1960

John was about to park his car in front of the store that Sam worked when he saw his son ran towards the bus stop. He yelled at Sam, but the boy couldn't hear him, so he drove closer, but Sam already boarded the bus that just arrived. He yelled at him again, but the bus sped off. 

He wondered what Sam was up to so he followed. He's not going home that's for sure because the bus was going in the opposite direction from home. It wasn't a far ride when the bus finally stopped and Sam alighted. 

John stayed out of view as he parked his car to the side and followed his son. Sam seemed to be in a hurry and John was getting more and more anxious. He didn't want to call out so he could find out what's going on. He hoped that his youngest son was not doing drugs in this bad area.

He saw Sam walked towards an old house and knocked on the door. An older lady that John recognized from the hospital was there to greet his son! John walked faster and pushed the door before it was closed. They were clearly surprised to see him there.

"What are you doing here, Sammy?!!!! And who are these people?!!" John shouted, and Sam was speechless as he didn;t realized that his dad has been following him.

"Look, Mr. Winchester, I think you need to calm down. I can explain." Yolanda interjected.

"Explain what?! Are you giving drugs to my son?!!" John yelled at the poor woman.

His words brought Sam back to his senses, so he quickly responded.  
"What?!! Dad!!?! NO!! Yolanda and Ou Man here are going to help Dean, Dad!"

"What are you talking about?!!What's all these?!! What the hell is going on?!!" John yelled as he scanned the dark surroundings and his eyes fell on the old man who sat with his legs crossed on the floor staring back at him. 

Ou Man spoke calmly, "I am Ou Man, and this is my house. Please show me some respect."

"SHOW YOU RESPECT?!! YOU LURED MY SON HERE!! I COULD REPORT YOU TO THE POLICE!!" John yelled louder. He can't believe he's having this conversation with these two strangers. 

"Go ahead. I am not afraid." Ou Man replied again, calmer than before.

"Dadd!! Please! Ou Man and Yolanda are good people, they are only trying to help us get Dean back. Please wait and give them a chance, Dad!." Sam implored.

"You and I are going home, and we are going to have a long talk in the car." John gritted his teeth and pulled Sam's upper arm by force. He pulled Sam all the way to his vehicle, ignoring his son's cries of protests.

Yolanda watched them go and turned to Ou Man. 

"They will be back." he said.


	34. Chapter 34

1960

"What the hell are you thinking boy?!" John growled as he drove them away.

"I was thinking of Dean! I want to know what happened to him, Dad?! How could you just dragged me out of Ou Man's house without waiting for his explanations?!" Sam retorted, huffing with anger. 

"What explanations?!! Didn't you notice the state of his house?!! All those frozen animals everywhere?! Those are not wacky to you, Sammy?" John reminded his son. It was an eerie feeling just being there even for a short while.

"Those were taxidermied animals, Dad." Sam corrected sulkily. "And Ou Man's not wacky, he's wise!" 

"Look, son. I know you're trying to help, and I thank you. But for God's sake, Sammy, do it the right way. We are going to see Father David at his church tomorrow morning before I send you and your mom to the hospital. He's going to lead the prayer for your brother." John said convincingly.

"How could you say that, Dad? What makes you think that Ou Man's way's the wrong way? Yes, his methods may be different, but we have a common goal here, which is to save Dean!!! I want to save Dean, Dad!! I want him back!!!! I missed my brother so much!!! And you don't care!!!" Sam cried as he looked at his father with tears falling streaming down his face.

John stopped his car to the side and immediately pulled Sam into his arms.   
"I care, Sammy, and I'm sorry! Daddy missed him too. We're gonna save him, son, I promise you and your mother. Don't cry, Sammy, Dean's going to be okay," 

Yolanda was about to leave the house when she saw Dean's picture on the ground. She picked it up and gave it to Ou Man. It was a newer picture than the one that Sam brought before and Yolanda asked if he wanted to proceed. 

Ou Man looked at her and said.

"Yes, because he didn't have much time left."


	35. Chapter 35

1760

 

"Charlotte! Where are you?...Charlotte?!" Nadine called out her friend's name in the hallway of Castiel's home, but there was no answer. She heard activities on the East side of the house and walked towards it.  
She has baby Zola in her arms, and little Adalyn was holding her hand.

As she turned to the guest bedroom, her eyes widened at what she saw. 

Two men were digging a hole on the ground in the middle of the bedroom, and Reichard was standing near with his arms folded towering over a coffin. He turned as he felt Nadine's presence in the room.

"Hah! Look who's here. The widow's up." Reichard sneered and walked over to where she was standing with her children.

"What are you doing, Reichard?!! Why are you burying Castiel here?!! Oh Lord in heavens, Reichard!! What's happened to you?!!" Nadine cried as she realised what Reichard's doing. Castiel's not going to have a proper burial and buried right in the middle of his own house!!

He ignored her and kept telling his men to keep digging the grave.

"Stop this!! Stop this madness Reichard!!" Nadine screamed, and her children cried in fear. 

Louie came running in right then and grabbed the crying baby from her arms. "Nadine's right Rei, please don't do this. We should bury him tomorrow next to Father's grave with blessings from the priest. We have time Rei!" 

Reichard looked at his brother and laughed cruelly, "Alas!! The murderer has spoken! And what a hypocrite he was, not to mention STUPID!! Louie, use your useless brain for once. Do you want to be caught by the authorities? Huh? Please don't waste any more of my time, I needed to get back to Ophelia before she finds out!" 

"Where's Charlotte?!!" Nadine asked with a worried look crossed her face.

"She's gone, apparently her own life's more valuable than her loyalty," Reichard said, smirking at her distraught sister in law.

"What's that supposed to mean Reichard?!" Nadine demanded.

"Louie if you, please take your family home, I'm really busy right now!!" Reichard commanded and turned back to instruct his men to work faster.

At home, Louie tried talking to Nadine after he put their children to bed. "Nadine, I know you hate me so much right now, but you have to hear me out. I loved Castiel and deeply regretted what I've done, but we have to move on Nadine, for our children. We all are leaving Louisiana, and our departure is on early Monday morning."

"What?!!" Nadine cried in shock!. She didn't know about this plan at all and felt betrayed all over again. Louie repeated what he said to his wife.

"I will go but I will never speak to you again." she said solemnly and walked into her children's bedroom. 

Louie not only lost his brother that night, but he also lost his wife.


	36. Chapter 36

1960

 

Ou Man chanted a prayer and drank some chicken blood from a clay bowl and placed it between two lighted, Dark purple candles. He then took the voodoo doll with Dean's picture tied to it and held it above the bowl. 

Ou Man began to chant his prayers in Afrikaans.

Ek gedagvaar jy , o mens se gees vir my , die kneg van die opperste heer Nyame hoor die duisternis wat jy besit te weerstaan  
(I summoned you, oh human spirit to hear me the servant of the supreme lord Nyame to resist the darkness that holds you)

He repeated the chant twice while holding the doll above each candle and held it back above the bowl of blood. He chanted again.

as jy jouself laat in die duisternis , nou jouself toelaat om die lig te sien  
(as you let yourself into the darkness, now allow yourself to see the light)

die houvas wat die bose gees het op dat jy nie opgewasse vir jou wilskrag om te oorleef , so laat die duisternis NOU !! en kom na die lig !!!  
(the hold that the evil spirit has on you are no match for your will to survive, so leave the darkness NOW!! and come to the light!!!)

Yolanda watched in trepidation as Ou Man got lost in his trance as he kept repeating the chants that his eyes began to roll back slowly in his head, till she could see only the whites. His body shook so hard that the voodoo doll almost fell off his hands and he struggled to hold on tight. 

At the end of the chant, he dropped the doll into the bowl of blood and passed out. Yolanda already expected this, hurried to grab the old man and make him sit upright. He was perspiring all over and Yolanda, quickly made him drink some water to revive him.

Now matter how many times she witnessed his rites, she'll never get over the fear she felt in her heart. 

Parallel Universe

 

Dean was listening to Castiel's stories about the barges of the Mississipi rivers that were there before when he felt the hit in his stomach. He groaned painfully as his lover began to panic.

"Dean!! What's wrong?!!" Castiel asked as he saw Dean clutching his middle and groaned louder. 

"I don't know Cas! Please take me back!!" he moaned as Castiel lifted him up and mounted him on one of the horse. He climbed behind Dean and steered the horse away. Cas didn't notice the blood that his lover coughed out.


	37. Chapter 37

1960

 

"Mom, I'm telling you Ou Man could help Dean. Please let me be there and see what he'll do. Please, mom!" Sam pleaded as his mother refused to listen to him after his father left for the hospital again.

"Sam. You don't know that for sure. A church prayer tomorrow will be the best for Dean. Our beliefs, Sammy, we should have more faith in our beliefs, not some spiritual rites. Your dad told me how quirky and dangerous that place was and he warned me not to let you leave the house and go there!" Mary exclaimed exasperatedly.

"Why are you and Dad dismissed every opportunity to save Dean! There will be no harm done if we do both Mom!. I will go to the church and pray with you tomorrow but please we have to meet Ou Man! Please Mom, I begged you. Or why not you come with me then! Yolanda's there too! You won't have to be afraid." Sam implored, searching his mom's face. 

Mary stared at her son and sighed. Sammy's right, anything sounds like a good idea now as they are at their wits end on what to do anymore."Okay...we'll go, Sammy." 

"Thanks, Mom!" Sam kissed her cheeks and ran off to get his jacket. It's hot in the day but at night, the air can get pretty cold.

Parallel universe

Castiel rode the horse fast that they arrived his house finally. He carried Dean all the way to his room and was alarmed when he saw the blood that spilled out of his lover's mouth.

He laid Dean on the bed and quickly grabbed a handkerchief, dabbed it with water and began wiping Dean's mouth. Castiel held his head and made him drink out of the silver cup earlier. 

"Drink, Dean." he coaxed softly, as Dean looked up at him with hooded eyes. The pain in his stomach subsided as the sharp stab in his head began, and he howled at the new pain.

"Dean!!! What's happening!!?!! Tell me!!" Castiel asked anxiously.

"My head!! It hurts!!" Dean growled as he sat up and pressed his hands hard on his skull. "Oh God, it hurts!!! Cas!! Help me!!HELP ME!!HELP ME!!" he screamed as Castiel watched him helplessly at a loss of what to do but to hold him tight.

Dean continued crying in agony till the pain in his head mysteriously gone, and he fell backward onto the mattress, staring up into Cas' eyes with unbridled tears. "...Cas..."

"What's happening to you, my love?" Castiel asked as his face crumpled and he began to cry. He held Dean's face and kissed him tenderly.

The sun that shone outside has gradually faded and turned the house darker and darker that Castiel hastily lit the candles by the bedside. 

The dark room now illuminated by the flickering candlelights and Dean saw for the first time how hauntingly beautiful his lover was.

"...Cas...what are you, my love?"...he whispered softly, as he gazed lovingly into the tearful blue eyes.

Castiel met Dean's gaze and braved himself to speak.

"Please forgive me, Dean, as I have not spoken the truth for I am afraid of losing you. This isn't a dream, my love."

"Then what is this?" Dean asked curiously, as he tried to pull himself up and Castiel helped him.  
"Please don't be afraid of what I'm going to tell you.." Castiel warned gently.   
Dean held his hands and confessed, "You're everything to me, Castiel, and I am not afraid. Whatever this is, whatever or whoever you are, just tell me please, beautiful." Dean held Castiel's hand tighter to encouraged him.

"Dean, I am the Phantom of the house you lived in, and I took your soul away when you came to my hiding place."


	38. Chapter 38

1960

John was reading the Bible when Dean began fidgeting in his bed followed by instant thrashing. John ran out of the room and yelled at the nurses for help. 

John ran back to his son and tried to subdue his violent movements. Dean's body was ice cold, and his lips turned pale as if he's suffering from hypothermia.

The night shift doctor and a nurse rushed in to check on Dean's breathing and pulse rate before he confirmed that Dean's going into cardiac arrest. 

The doctor began performing the CPR on Dean immediately, while John watched him, tried earnestly to revive his son. 

It took some time for Dean to be able to breathe again and his skin color to change, but he remained unconscious as the doctor donned the oxygen mask on him again. He advised the nurses to leave it on Dean till he checks on him again later. John was beside himself with worry that he began bombarding the doctor with questions.

The doctor assured him that this was common and not to worry. John sighed heavily with relief as he sat next to his son again and watched him intently. He didn't pick up the Bible again that night.

Mary and Sam arrived at Ou Man's house and after much persuasion and assurance from Yolanda, she began to calm down. Yolanda told them that Ou Man's spells had got to Dean somehow gauging by the state he was in just now, but they weren't powerful enough to pull Dean out of the darkness. 

He said there's only one other way left, and he told Mary. 

"I need Dean's blood." he said solemnly, and Mary's eyes widened in horror. 

"What?!! He's in the hospital, fighting for his life! I can't give it to you Ou Man!" she cried. Sam asked the old man if he could come up with other ways but he just shook his head with resignation.

"Can't you use mine?!! I'm his mother, please Ou Man!" she begged desperately.  
"No Mom! Use mine!" Sam offered.

Yolanda calmed a nervous Mary by rubbing her back and asked Ou Man if it's okay.

"The mother," he said. Sam protested but Mary stopped him and said that she's going to be okay. He asked if she has any of Dean's photo and she quickly said yes and took one out from her wallet. Ou Man then grabbed a new voodoo doll and beckoned for Mary.

"Come here. Turn your hand, palm faces up. Take deep breaths, it's going to be very deep cut and a lot of blood. 

Mary obeyed his instructions and winced as the sharp blade cut across the palm of her hand. Yolanda quickly tied the injury with a clean cloth and gave her some water to drink.

"Are you okay?" Ou Man asked.

"Yes, thank you,"Mary replied bravely.

"Let's begin." he said.


	39. Chapter 39

Parallel Universe

"You're a ghost, and you took my soul?"Dean asked, quite unbelieving what he just heard even when he's the one seeking the truth out of Castiel. 

"Yes, my love, it's the only way to bring you to my world." said Castiel as the fire light danced in his eyes. 

He was so enthralling that Dean's breath hitched and he couldn't tear his eyes away. 

Castiel was a vision.

His words saddened Dean. Castiel was alive once not a dream or a figment of his imagination. Dean can't help as questions began flooding his mind that he blurted out, "How did you die?!"

Castiel looked at him and replied quietly, "I was killed."  
"By who?!!" Dean asked again as he moved closer to his lover.  
"My brother, Louie," Cas said sadly, as tears began to well in his eyes.  
"What?!!" Dean exclaimed as anger rose in him without warning.

He held Castiel's face and brushed the tears away, ignoring his own tears that began forming in his eyes.

"Why did he killed you, my love?" Dean whispered as he searched the melancholy face before him.

"Louie killed me out of rage and jealousy when he thought that his wife, Nadine was being unfaithful to him. He thought that she and I were in love, but Nadine was like a baby sister to me that I never have." Castiel said as he remembered the night he died. He continued as Dean urged him to go on.

"My soul left my body the moment he stabbed the knife unto me. I watched Reichard picked Nadine up after she fainted, seeing my blood flow. His two men carried my dead body all the way to the stables and deposited it there. Louie didn't stop crying, and he kept apologizing to me," Castiel muttered dejectedly.

"HE'S EVIL! No amount of rage or jealousy could make one kill his own brother!!" cried Dean, outraged at Louie's monstrous act.

Castiel reached for his lover's hands and kissed them softly. "Don't be upset, my love. Me not forgiving them made me what I am, and now I am with you." 

"Where were you buried Cas? I didn't see any tombstone at the back of the house?!" Dean asked quizzically.

"I was buried in that room where we found each other," Castiel said softly as Dean's eyes widened in horror. Castiel wasn't perturbed as he continued his story.

"They had to hide my remains for their own safety. Within two days, my brothers left with their family for Paris. My loyal maidservant Charlotte's life was in jeopardy when she threatened to report their crimes to the authorities. I didn't blame her for leaving as she was brave enough to confront Reichard. I often hope that she would come back and visit my grave, but I guess they sent her far away. Reichard told everyone that I left for France first and didn't intend to come back....and that's my story, Dean." he gave Dean a bitter smile.

The cool wind began to blow against the white lace curtains on the window. Castiel smiled sadly. The wistful sound of sorrow that he tried to avoid since he first heard them the night he died. The nights that he willed to disappear now engulfed him in darkness.

"Why are you smiling, Cas?" Dean asked worriedly.

"They are coming for me Dean, it's time to meet my Maker," Castiel said desolately as tears streamed down his face. 

"NO!! NO!! I'm coming with you, Cas!!" Dean screamed as his lover moved away from him slowly.

The whispers in the wind got louder as the wind blew harder in that room and the lights from the candles were blown off.

"Dean..!! Someone's calling your name!!! Can you hear it, my love?!!!" Castiel shouted above the sound of the howling winds.

"What?!!! I can't!! Where are you?!! I can't see you Cas!!" Dean yelled in panic as he climbed out of the bed hurriedly and ran to where he thought his lover was standing. 

"Dean!! It's your mother, she wants you to come home, my love!!" Castiel cried as he realized that two different forces were pulling them away now. 

"Cas!!! Come back!! Don't leave me!! Please don't leave me, my love! I belong to you!! I belong to Castiel!!!" Dean cried harrowingly as he searched for his lover frantically in the darkness. 

"CASTIEL!!! CASTIEL!!!!! CASTIELLLLLL!!!!" 

"Sleep now, my soul, I will always love you."


	40. Chapter 40

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Four years had passed since the incident and Dean was invited back to the house that brought so many happy and sad memories. 
> 
> Will he find closure or was it just the beginning of a next chapter in his life? Let's find out! ;))
> 
> Thank you so much for reading, the bookmarks, the kudos and the nice comments!!  
> God bless!! xoxoxo

Epilogue

1964

Two more states and Dean will be there. The place that brought him so much pain and memory that he still remembered them clearly. The heartbreak he felt was irreparable, but his family was none the wiser as he kept a happy face all the time. 

Dean never told his parents what had happened to him only Sammy. They will never believe nor will they ever understood how he felt, so it's best this way. 

That beautiful moment in his life that will always be treasured deep in his heart till the day he died. There were a few times that Dean tried to end his life after the incident so that he could be united with his lover again and didn't care if he went to hell or heaven.

But his loving family, managed to pull him out of his misery every time. Made him whole again with their patience and love that he never felt more grateful in his life. 

In return for their kindness, Dean went to college and studied real hard that he graduated with honors. He's a history teacher now, teaching the high school kids about American history and he was very proud of his profession.

The broker has tracked the descendants of the Delacroix mansion after his family returned the property and went back to California. Dean remembered how his father had punched the man in his face after being told about the haunted house. 

The broker would've died if not for his mom's interference, and Dean pulling him aside to tell him about the grave in the house. He promised Dean that he would look for the Delacroix family and informed them about it. 

Dean and Sam went to that house the day after his family held the church prayers for him without their parent's knowledge. The family stayed temporary in a motel in town after the incident.

The brothers prayed for Castiel in that room where Dean's soul was taken by his lover. Tears never ceased to fall as they cried on each other's shoulder.

Dean sighed as he picked up the invitation card on the passenger seat and looked at the name on the card, again. 

James, and Nadine Delacroix. 

Descendants of his beautiful lover, Castiel Delacroix and he smiled softly.

He drove with mad anticipation as he finally drove into Louisiana. An hour more and he will be on the grounds of St Delacroix. 

It was around four in the afternoon when he drove his Chevy through the long path that led to the house after he saw the new sign that stood at the entrance.

Dean smiled as he passed the beautiful old oak trees that lined the pathway and as he drove nearer, his eyes widened at the beautiful mansion before him. It looked so familiar that Dean began to tear.

He felt like he was back in his dream where he and Castiel had spent the longest day of his life there. It looked almost majestic, and when he saw the restored fountain, he can't help but smiled wider.

A little red-haired girl, about six years old came running from the house towards the porch and gave Dean a huge smile. It must be James and Nadine's daughter, he thought. Dean turned off his engine and climbed out of his car. 

"Hello, there." he said, smiling at the beautiful child before him.

"Papa!! He's here!!" she turned her head towards the house and yelled excitedly at her father.

"I'm coming sweetheart!" a man's voice shouted from inside.

"Hello, Mr. Dean Winchester, welcome to our home. My name is Nadine" she said as she held her small hand out for Dean to shake.

Dean's brow furrowed and asked the girl as he took her little hand in his. "You are Nadine?"

"Yes! I am Nadine Delacroix, why?" she asked curiously.

"I thought that was your mother's name," Dean said.

"I don't have a mommy. I only have my Papa," she replied innocently, and that's when her father came out finally.

Dean's heart stopped, and he blinked his eyes a few times, unbelieving of what he'd seen.

Nadine's Papa was a spitting image of his lover, Castiel. Dean's eyes began to well with rapid tears that he quickly brushed them away as the man approached him with that same beautiful smile that haunted Dean's dreams.

"I'm so happy that we've finally met. Hi, Dean, I'm James Castiel Delacroix. Welcome home."


End file.
